Disposable drinking cup structure



Dec. 1, 1959 J. G. O'NEIL DISPOSABLE DRINKING cuP STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 29, 1957 FILE! 1 FICEZE INVENTOR. J'omv 6 0 IVE/L Arrow/u:

United States Patent This invention relates to a drinking cup structure, with particular reference to a type of cup adapted to be assembled in nested arrangement and form chambers between adjacent cups. Further reference is made to a disposable cup such as is made of paper or fiber sheet material and discarded after being used.

It is desirable to have an improved means for retaining wafers of beverage concentrate in the chambers formed between said nested cups. There is a tendency for said wafers to crumble and break up when subjected to a jarring effect which may result from the mere handling of cartons of said nested cups. It is desirable to provide a firm yielding structure in connection with the bottom 1 structure of said cups for holding said wafers free from movement and for absorbing any jar or shock to which said wafers may be subjected and which would otherwise affect them.

Said cups are freely used for both hot and cold liquids f It has been found that a substantial percentage of said cups have a tendency to develop a leakage, particularly when containing a hot liquid. There is thus a tendency for such a cup to leave a wet ring or a damp area when placed on a table surface or a sideboard and the like, and to cause damage to the surface upon which it is placed. It is desirable to have a bottom cup structure adapted to absorb leakage which may develop.

There is also a tendency for the heat from a hot liquid contained in the cup to affect the surface upon which the cup may be placed, and this is particularly true of a waxed or polished surface. It is desirable therefore to have a bottom cup structure insulated to prevent the passage of heat from the contents thereof to the surface upon which it is resting.

It is further desirable to embody all of the features above stated into a single bottom cup structure.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a bottom cup structure adapted to serve as a firmly resilient shock absorbing member for retaining a wafer of beverage concentrate in unbroken condition.

It is another object of this invention to provide a bottom cup structure adapted to absorb the moisture resulting from cup leakage and to prevent the passage of such moisture and the passage of heat to the surface upon which said cup may be resting.

It is another object of this invention to provide a pack age comprising a plurality of nested drinking cups forming chambers therebetween and a layer of resilient shock absorbing material disposed in said chambers and secured to the inner of said nested cups yieldingly forminga recess for holding a wafer securely against the inner bottom of the outer nesting cup.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a I drinking cup with a bottom structure comprising a layer ice will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the'accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a partial package of nested cups showing part of a container broken away and a portion of said cups in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a view in broken section of one of applicants cups showing a wafer therein;.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the layer of material disposed in the recess of applicants bottom cup structure; and

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, a cup 10 is shown; Said cup is here indicated as being of a commonly used and disposable variety, such as being made of paper or fiber sheet material and discarded after use. Said cup is here shown to be of a frustoconical form having a body portion 11, an upper bead or lip 12, a lower annular flange 13, and a bottom 14. Said cup is of a construction adapted to nest with said flange 13 engaging the adjacent bottom of an outer cup in nested position and with said flange frictionally engaging the inner side portion of said outer cup adjacent said bottom. Said flange is formed on said cup in a manner well known'in the art. Said flange 13 supports said bottom 14 in a raised position forming a recess 16 therewith.

Shown positioned in said cup 10 is a substantially thin wafer 18 comprising a beverage concentrate. With reference to Fig. l, a plurality of said cups 10 are shown in nested arrangement within a container 20. Said container '20 is here shown to be formed'of transparent sheet material. Thus it is seen that saidrecess'16' of e'ach'of said cups is formed intoa chamber between adjacent nested cups. v v

Disposed within said recess '16 is aflller member 22. Said member 16 may be formed ofvarious materials and preferably is formed of a firmly resilient material to hold said wafer 18 yieldingly in position as shown in Fig. 1. In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, said member 22 is shown to be of a thickness to fill said recess 16 and have its outer side in the plane of the outer end portion of said cup 10. Said member 22 will be secured to the outer side of the bottom 14 of said cup 10 and may also be secured to the inner side of said flange 13 in any suitable manner, as by an adhesive. Said member 22 will be adapted to absorb jar or shock as from the handling of a carton or container of said cups to hold said wafers 18 free from breaking or crumbling which would otherwise result from said handling.

The material of which said member 22 is formed will also be moisture absorbent andheat insulating. It has been found that said cups 10 as generally formed at the junction of said flange 13 and bottom 14 have a tendency to leak, especially when hot liquids are contained therein. It is desirable to have a bottom structure that will absorb such leakage of liquid and to provide insulation against the heat of said liquid to prevent its penetration through said bottom and to prevent it from in any way damaging a surface upon which said cup may be placed. In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated, said member 22 is shown having a thin lower layer 22a secured thereto by a suitable adhesive and formed of a resilient moisture-proof sheet material having a firm and preferably somewhat slick outer surface free from any tendency to have said wafer 18 cling or adhere thereto.

In operation, it has been found desirable to nest said cups 10 in inverted position whereby said wafers 18 respectively will be placed on the outer side of said member 22 and the cups will then be nested, This assures the wafer being in a well centered position. Said member 18 is shown occupying the entire area of recess 16 and thus also oecupiesthe entire area of the chamhers formed --between-adjacent nested cups. .-Thus:said

water, as shown'in Fig. .1, is yieldingly pressed against said member 22 so that a recess ioncontaining saidwafer is thus formed within saidmernber '22 andrsaid wafer is securingly heldinposition under firm resilient;pressure. Said member 22 will absorb thejarringrefiect caused by the handling of cartons of said cups-and thus hold said wafers free from crackingor crumbling.

When said cups are put to ordinary drinking use, said mernber,22 forms a solidbottom construction on which -said cup rests in addition-toresting on -the lower edge portion of said flange 13. Said member 22 will absorb =any moisture-ras the result of leakage through the connection of said bottom -14 and saidfilangell: as said flange-is ordinarilymnerely crimped abouta depending which rnight be caused by thepresence-of heat from a liquid in oneof said cups. Heat often bleaches or otherwise adverselyaffects-a polished or waxed surface, as of a table or sideboard.

Thus it is seen that I-have provided a novel bottom construction for disposable cup havingadesirable threeflfold purpose as described in the above operation. Apv-plicants novelimproved construction for a cup bottom is simple and eflicient and has proved to be very successful and satisfactory in use.

-It will of course be understoodthat variouschanges may be made in the form, details, arrangement and pro- :portions of the. parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A disposable cup having in combination, a frusto conical body portion, a flange about the bottom of said body portion, a bottom supported by said flange and being integral therewith and forming a recess therewith, a layer of resilient absorbent heat insulating material disposed in said recess and being integral with said bottom, and a layer of slick moisture-proof non-adhesive material secured'to the outer side of said resilient'layer and being flush with the bottom of. said flange of said cup.

2. In a plurality of nested cups having wafers of beverage concentrate disposed and cushioned between the .adjacent bottoms of said cups, said cups comprising a frusto conicahbodyjportion, a flange about thebottom edge of said'body portion, a-bottom supported by said flange' being integral therewithand forming a recess there- "with, said body'portion'and said flange being adapted to nest 'into an adjacent cup to have 'said' flange rest 'onthe inner bottom thereof, a layer 'of'resilient insulating'ma- 'terial "disposedin said recess'tofilhthe areafthereofand being integral with'said bottom,=a" layer of slick moistureproof sheet material overlying said 're s'ilient" layer and being secured theretoto be flush' with the bottom. edge portion of'said flange whereby=said wafers'are disposed between the nested of said cups and are held secure in chambers formed bythe' yielding of said resilient layer 'of'm'aterial.

References Cited in the file. of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,592,395 Sulzberger u July.13, 1926 1,971,337 Collins -Aug. 28, 1934 2,205,687 Elsaesser June.25,. 1940 2,740,545 Bates Apr. 3, 1956 .FOREIGN PATENTS 340,079 Great Britain Dec. 24-, 1930 

